The Downside of an Up Economy 🐶 + 🍺 = 💩 🆓

One clear sign the economy is roaring along is the sudden proliferation of businesses that couldn’t exist without a profusion of expendable income.

On a recent tip to Charleston I was invited to join a group at ‘a bar for dog and beer lovers’ (their tag line). A monetized dog park was my take.

The place had my hackles up from the get-go. It felt just a little too affluential, a place to be seen with your dog and drink some amazing craft brews!

It occurred to me I was being a bit of a curmudgeon, so I settled in with a beer to watch the dogs play and chat with new friends. I didn’t have to wait long for the show.

One by one, the dogs, unattended by their well-groomed owners began to urinate and defecate in a chain reaction. The view was now non-stop dogs relieving themselves, smelling the excrement of other dogs, and joining in the fun.

Just as I was about to give up on the experience a young man came bounding out to play with the dogs. Lubricated by dog urine, he slid effortlessly into the astroturf in one elegant motion.

In that moment, I thought, maybe there is something for me here after all.

I had a ball at this find in the desert. A public pool made of natural water. Perfect temperature, lovely views. I jumped off this diving board at least twenty times, but worried it was going to break off each time. The entire operation is crumbling.

Sadly, the neglect of maintenance is not limited to New York, public transit or this summer. All varieties of American infrastructure — roads, bridges, airports, sewers — are in decrepit condition. Lead poisons the water systems of Flint, Mich., and hundreds of other cities and towns across the nation. The American Society of Civil Engineers considers 17 percent of American dams to be “high hazard potential,” including the one outside Oroville, Calif., that nearly collapsed in February.

LOL! I really love this quote. Who could have seen this coming? Literally any restaurant owner 🙀